


Perceptions

by magician



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Community: sentinel_thurs, Ficlet, Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-01-27 23:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12593352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: What is the definition of a trouble magnet?





	Perceptions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sentinel Thursday. The prompt was "the Sandburg Zone"

"The Sandburg Zone. The Sandburg Zone.  What the hell does _that_ mean?" Blair Sandburg asked, more than a little annoyance in his voice.  
  
Jim Ellison and Simon Banks looked over at Blair in surprise.  They'd been relaxing, drinking beer and eating sandwiches, enjoying the Cascade All-City Departments Labor Day Picnic.  Jim has been regaling Simon with a story that involved the apparently offending phrase.  
  
"Don't blow a gasket, Chief," Jim said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "You know," he said with a one-shouldered shrug.  "Trouble just seems to swirl around you like a vortex."  
  
"Oh, really?"  Blair asked, standing up and crossing his arms.  "How's that?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Sandburg," Simon chimed in.  "Do we have to remind you?  What about when you were stuck in that elevator with a bomb in Wilkenson Tower?  Or how about that neighbor of yours who turned out to be a drug dealer?  You have to admit you attract trouble." He smiled smugly and took another swallow of beer.  
  
"I don't have to admit any such thing," Blair insisted.  "Yes, those things happened to me, but bad things happen to people sometimes." He waved a hand in Simon's direction. " As to that, what about you?"  
  
Simon looked at Blair in surprise.  "What about me?"  
  
"I suppose you think it's normal to get shot in a bank while applying for a loan?  Or almost getting killed at your high school reunion?"  Simon started to speak, but Blair pressed on.  "Or getting your helicopter shot down in Peru by drug manufacturers?  Or getting captured by an escaped convict and being dragged all over creation?"  
  
"Hey, I'm in a dangerous job, Sandburg," Simon protested.  "Being captured by Quinn was one of the risks."  
  
Blair rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, because that happens to so many _other_ police captains," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.  "Maybe we should look into whether there's a 'Banks Zone', what do you say?"  
  
Jim laughed.  "He's got you there, Captain."  
  
"And maybe we should also look into whether there's an Ellison Zone," Blair said, turning hard eyes on Jim.  He started to pace back and forth the length of the picnic table. "I expect half of this trouble-magnet B.S. you two ascribe to me is because I'm hanging around with Jim.  Would I have been in any danger if Sam Holland hadn't tried to contact Jim, or if we hadn't been visiting his cousin when a drug runner's girlfriend showed up?  
  
"And would I have ended up in the middle of the ocean with a crooked game warden if you two hadn't decided to go out of jurisdiction with those poachers during our fishing trip…" Blair trailed off, suddenly becoming aware that Jim and Simon were looking at each other uncomfortably.  
  
"Hey, hey," Blair said softly, visibly deflating as he collapsed back down on the table bench. "Sorry, guys.  I didn't mean to throw a pall on things." He looked at them both earnestly.  "It's just that Cascade happens to be a dangerous city.  Bad things happen to people here all the time, and no one blames the victim, least of all you two.   I may not be a brother in blue, but I think I've earned a little more respect than I get most of the time." Blair sighed and rubbed his forehead.  "I guess that Sandburg Zone crack just struck a nerve."  
  
Simon let his gaze wander over the large park, spying his son playing softball and wishing he'd decided to join in when Daryl asked him an hour before.  He never felt comfortable with the touchy-feely stuff. "You're right, Sandburg," he said, turning his gaze toward Blair.  "Tell you what.  Let's start fresh today.  No more Sandburg or Banks or Ellison zones."  He reached into the cooler, got three cold bottles of beer and passed them around.  "But I'm keeping track from now on.  At the next PD get-together, we'll see which one of us is truly the biggest trouble magnet.  Agreed?"  
  
"Agreed," Blair said as he twisted off his bottle cap.  "I'm betting it'll be you, Simon," he said with a big grin.  
  
"No way, Sandburg.  With you and Jim as competition, I'll come in a poor third."  
  
The three men clinked their bottles and drank, letting Simon have the last word.  They allowed themselves to get distracted by the game, more than happy to let the subject of the last few minutes drop.  
  
~~the end~~


End file.
